ND Expert: Don’t panic over ISIS | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › ND Expert: Don’t panic over ISIS ND Expert: Don’t panic over ISIS Published: August 26, 2014 Author: Shannon Roddel Michael Desch As the Islamic State extremist group, commonly referred to as ISIS, shocks the world with its brutality and takes control of more territory in the region, Michael Desch, professor and chair of political science at the University of Notre Dame, says the U.S. should take ISIS seriously and stop its progess, but not panic. “ISIS is a serious local threat in Syria and Iraq, but does not yet pose a direct threat to the United States,” says Desch, an expert on international security and American foreign and defense policies. “While the presence of Western nationals in their ranks is worrisome, they have the greatest potential to do mischief in the weak states in the region, two of which we have created in Syria and Iraq with ill-advised policies.” Air strikes against ISIS are necessary, according to Desch. “I think using air power and drones to degrade the military capability of ISIS is prudent,” he says. “On the other hand, they are a self-limiting problem. They scare local actors who will eventually be able to oppose them. We can count on the Iraqi Kurdish Pesh Merga and the central government in Baghdad to contain ISIS on the ground in Iraq. In Syria, only Bashar al-Assad’s forces constitute a serious bulwark against them, and so it is time to give up the goal of regime change there. “President Obama wants to degrade the brutal ISIS forces without helping Assad, but this is a circle that can’t be squared,” Desch says. “In both Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and now Assad’s Syria, we tried to overthrow brutal dictators only to find that their replacements were even worse. ISIS is far more of a threat than Assad, and if attacking the former bolsters the latter, so be it.” Desch says ISIS has capitalized on the weaknesses of other armed opposition. “They took advantage of Sunni discontent with the Shia-dominated Iraqi government in Baghdad and the weakness of the Iraqi Army,” Desch says. “They have had gaudy success in the Sunni region of Iraq, but I doubt they will ever be able to move beyond that to the Shia heartland or Kurdistan." Contact: Michael Desch, 574-631-2792, mdesch@nd.edu Posted In: International Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related September 30, 2022 Nanovic Institute to welcome former President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 14, 2022 Apostolic nuncio to Great Britain to deliver the 2022 Keeley Vatican Lecture September 12, 2022 Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street … in different countries? For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn